The most spectacular Chanel fashion shows staged by Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld died on February 19, 2019 at the age of 85. With a lot of imagination, the legendary fashion designer created his own universe in which every detail was of crucial importance. While the fashion czar had his own line of the same name and was the creative director of the Italian luxury label Fendi for over five decades, today his name is mainly associated with the French fashion house Chanel. For more than 30 years he has been creating scenes with fantastic themes for the Chanel fashion shows, including a huge spaceship, a replica of the Eiffel Tower and a heavenly beach with shallow waves. Here we have put together 11 of the most exciting productions.

Spring-Summer 2019 Haute Couture

For Lagerfeld’s last couture show, he rebuilt the country house “Villa Chanel” and took the audience to Italy on a sun-drenched summer’s day. Back at the Grand Palais in Paris, the models walked along the park-inspired catwalks, surrounded by lush palm trees and Tuscan thuja.

Spring-Summer 2019 Ready-To-Wear

For the fashion week in Paris, Karl Lagerfeld had a dream beach built in the Parisian Grand Palais to present his spring-summer 2019 collection. Sand, ocean waves, lifeguards, it was all there. The models walked barefoot on the beach and held their shoes in their hands.

Fall-Winter 2017/18 Haute Couture

The most iconic landmark in Paris served as inspiration for Lagerfeld, who created a scale replica of the Eiffel Tower for his fall / winter haute couture show in 2017. The exhibited silhouette of the structure reflected the collection of elegant dresses and coats.

Spring-Summer 2017 Ready-To-Wear

For this collection, Karl Lagerfeld was inspired by the inside of the computer and transported the guests of the fashion show into a futuristically staged world. A data center with loose wires formed the backdrop for the models, who were disguised as white robots and carried bags illuminated with LEDs.

Fall-Winter 2018/19 ready-to-wear

In order to present his autumn / winter collection in 2018, Lagerfeld staged an autumn forest within the Grand Palais. In doing so, he drew the anger of environmentalists because several oaks and poplars were cut down to create the set. The catwalk was covered with fall leaves, moss, and tree trunks.

Fall-Winter 2010/11

For Chanel’s Fall / Winter 2010, Karl Lagerfeld imported a 265-ton iceberg from northern Sweden. Within six days, 35 sculptors transformed the massive block of ice into an 8-meter-long polar landscape. To prevent the backdrop from melting, temperatures in the Grand Palais were also kept below zero.

Fall-Winter 2017/18

In the middle of the Grand Palais, Lagerfeld literally launched a spaceship during his fall-winter show 2017. The 37-meter-high rocket was ignited for the finale and took off a few meters as if it were flying through the glass domes of the Grand Palais. Elton John’s “Rocket Man” was played during the 10 second countdown.

Fall-Winter 2014/15

For its Fall 2014 show, Chanel presented supermarket chic as an epic celebration of consumerism. The models walked with shopping baskets through a well-stocked grocery store with over 100,000 Chanel branded products. After the show, visitors stormed the faux market to ransack the store and take home a piece of Chanel.

Métiers d’art Show 2018/19

Against the backdrop of an Egyptian temple, Chanel’s Métiers d’art Show 2018/19 presented a mix of ancient civilization and the city of New York. Karl Lagerfeld let the models around the temple of Dendur (approx. 10 BC) of the Metropolitan Museum of kind stride.

Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-To-Wear

In 2012 the Grand Palais was transformed into a puristic underwater world. Giant white corals, clams, seahorses, algae, and stingrays were scattered across the scene. Even the singer Florence Welch, who appeared during the show, stood in a shell like Boticelli’s Venus.

Spring-Summer 2018 Ready-To-Wear

Lagerfeld created a gigantic waterfall in the Grand Palais, which served as the backdrop for his spring 2018 collection. The 9 meter high water feature consisted of caves from which the models with rain hats and raincoats came out.